text:
Darwin and the clueless left: It was all a misunderstanding
"This preservation of favourable variations and the rejection of injurious variations, I call Natural Selection," wrote Charles Darwin in On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (full text available online here).
It was all a misunderstanding. Charles Darwin called the process of nonrandom elimination of species that he hypothesized from years of field observation "natural selection." It totally works for us with both nature and human nature, but Darwin's flamboyant philosopher friend Herbert Spencer's memorable if misleading "survival of the fittest" survived the winnowing process of cultural evolution to become the meme of choice for generations of elitists who knew little about the scientific method nor the origin of species but all about what was best for us little people out here. Enter stage right Angelo M. Codevilla's American Spectator tour de force "America's Ruling Class — And the Perils of Revolution":
By 1853, when Sen. John Pettit of Ohio called "all men are created equal" "a self-evident lie," much of America's educated class had already absorbed the "scientific" notion (which Darwin only popularized) that man is the product of chance mutation and natural selection of the fittest. Accordingly, by nature, superior men subdue inferior ones as they subdue lower beings or try to improve them as they please. Hence while it pleased the abolitionists to believe in freeing Negroes and improving them, it also pleased them to believe that Southerners had to be punished and reconstructed by force. As the 19th century ended, the educated class's religious fervor turned to social reform: they were sure that because man is a mere part of evolutionary nature, man could be improved, and that they, the most highly evolved of all, were the improvers.
You must read the whole thing, of course. No mention of the Gramscian march through the institutions, but it touches deeply upon the ur-theme of this blog, the importance of being noticed. In our view it makes the world go 'round. Codevilla nails it:
For our ruling class, identity always trumps.
Just ask Northeast Corridor Fuddy Duddy Peggy Noonan. What's true for Beltway types is true for all mankind, only more so given the stakes, as Codevilla explains:
Like a fraternity, this class requires above all comity — being in with the right people, giving the required signs that one is on the right side, and joining in despising the Outs. Once an official or professional shows that he shares the manners, the tastes, the interests of the class, gives lip service to its ideals and shibboleths, and is willing to accommodate the interests of its senior members, he can move profitably among our establishment's parts.
Yes you, Mitt Romney, for enabling an aide to diss Mama Grizzly Sarah Palin as "not a serious human being." Your days are numbered.
Posted by Sissy Willis on July 17, 2010 at 06:36 PM in Political philosophy, PorkBusters, Sarah get your gun | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: darwin, gramscian march, herbert spencer, mama grizzly, mitt romney, natural selection, origin of species, sarah palin, survival of fittest
"Human nature is predictable and thus tragic"
Porkulus for Two. It's what's for dinner, the newest entrée from our Cold Turkey Cookbook Experimental Kitchens. Check out the glorious pinkish ribbon of fat around the edge. President Obama, Senator Reid and Congresswoman Pelosi, eat your "earmark-free" hearts out. See below* for recipe.
"If not [the conservative], who will say that life is not fair, that human nature is predictable and thus tragic, that in our brief corporal lives we can guarantee an equality of rough opportunity but hardly mandate an equality of absolute result — since we are mere mortals, not gods?" asks Victor Davis Hanson rhetorically, explaining for those who do not study history why "the pillar of conservatism is fiscal responsibility":
Balancing budgets and saying no to always expanding government, first, is a moral issue. Just as the individual does not borrow from others to satisfy his own appetite, does not consume what he does not earn, so too government should not spend what the nation has not produced. The conservative, as the custodian of ancient morality, must remind the populace of the thriftiness of our ancestors that explains the bounty we inherited.
"It's much bigger news when 200 people with jobs who've never protested turn out, than when 20,000 of the usual suspects organized by ACORN or ANSWER march with preprinted signs," writes Professor Reynolds of the growing Tea Party Movement. We love the infantile greed of Obamaniacs implied in "Gimme, Gimme" and "I need more toys NOW!" Rush Limbaugh made the same point in his "first televised address to the nation" at CPAC yesterday: "We gotta stop treating voters like children." (Darin Morley photo from St. Louis Arch "anti-Spendulus" Tea Party that drew 1,500 protesters Friday [via Gateway Pundit])
Enter stage right the burgeoning Tea Party Movement. "If social media is a good barometer, it looks like the spending bill is stimulating the citizenry already," quips LA Times technology blogger David Sarno:
Though even a year ago it would've been a slow and difficult process to chronicle a widely scattered protest such as this, the online community is now mastering the art of high-speed media sharing, a trend that can unite geographically disparate communities via the Web. Much of the sharing is now facilitated by the fast-growing messaging site Twitter, where today the keyword "teaparty" was one of the most frequently used terms. Users sent out a flurry of updates about attendance, links to photos on Flickr and Photobucket, and videos on YouTube and other sites.
"Rick Moran thinks the 'Tea Party' protests are amateurish and disorganized. At Playboy, on the other hand, they think they're suspiciously well-coordinated. Both are right!" says the Professor:
Of course they're amateurish. Most of these people have never organized a protest before (hence the tendency to do things like forget bullhorns). That's what you get at the beginning of a movement … If this keeps up (and I think it just might) the amateurishness will fade away soon enough. Then Moran will probably complain about the loss of authenticity.
The Playboy folks, meanwhile, miss two things. One is that, as reader Miles Wilson noted, these protests predate Santelli. The other is that modern technology allows a bunch of people who don't know each other to coordinate a nationwide campaign "suspiciously" well. Somebody should write a book on that subject some day.
Glenn Reynolds, as ever, is miles ahead of the curve. We ourselves were perhaps a bit ahead of the curve in December of 2004, commenting on the ominous exodus of the Dutch middle classes then in progress in the wake of — in Ambrose Evans-Pritchard's words — "clogged roads, street violence and loss of faith in Holland's once celebrated way of life." We stumbled onto that venerable post of ours yesterday while examining the entrails of our blog traffic in Site Meter stats and were horrified to hear a Dutch citizen back then "channeling" our own Rick Santelli of "Chicago Tea Party" fame:
"There's a feeling of injustice that if you do things right, if you work hard and pay your taxes, you're punished, and those who don't are rewarded. People can come and live here illegally and get payments [said Ellen, 43, a lawyer and banker who votes for the free-market Liberals]. How is that possible?"
"The Netherlands may be the canary in the mine," we noted at the time, not realizing that Obamogenic Eurostyle socialism was lumbering towards us just over the next hill in the land of the free and the home of the brave. As we wrote back then:
One would have thought that the fall of Communism had taught us once and for all — even those persons of the left still desperately clinging to their youthful embrace of Rousseau's pipe dream of the Noble Savage — that you can't fool Mother Nature. There are certain laws of human nature that will always out. Incentives are all. Reward anti-social behavior by telling the perpetrator he's a victim of society and it isn't his fault, and like any infant he'll keep on behaving badly.
As Larry Kudlow wrote the other day in "Obama Declares War on Investors, Entrepreneurs, Businesses":
Study after study over the past several decades has shown how countries that spend more produce less, while nations that tax less produce more. Obama is doing it wrong on both counts.
Let's hope the Tea Party conservatives, VDH's "custodians of ancient morality," will remind our fellow citizens in time of "the thriftiness of our ancestors that explain the bounty we inherited."
Update: Porkulus was "a little tough," says food critic Tuck. Was an hour too long? We've gotta do some more experimenting to get it right. Update II: We sliced it for sandwiches next morning, and it was fine. That tough spot was just a gristly piece of the chop that Tuck had the misfortune to bite into.
*How to make Porkulus for Two:
Cut a side pocket into a 2-inch-thick boneless pork chop as for Pork Suzette. Instead of Shake 'n Bake, top it with a quickie version of our Apple and Sausage Stuffing: Cook one sweet sausage till browned, breaking apart with spatula, add 5 cloves chopped roasted garlic, 1/2 cup Apple-Strawberry Mix (we used Cortlands for our latest batch), 1 1/2 cups prepared stuffing (we recommend Pepperidge Farm Cornbread) and c. 1 cup chicken broth. Cook over low heat until thoroughly moistened. Heap upon pork chop and bake about one hour at 350˚ till thermometer registers 155˚, anticipating a 5˚ increase to the recommended "safe minimum" of 160˚ after removing the chop from the oven. We covered 20 minutes into the baking to prevent over-browning. Let rest a few minutes, loosely covered with foil, before serving.
Posted by Sissy Willis on March 01, 2009 at 03:34 PM in Cold Turkey Cookbook, Great works, Hearts and minds, PorkBusters | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: acorn, answer, glenn reynolds, porkulus, tea partie movement, victor david hanson
The inherent corruption of unlimited government
"The reason I became a Republican [was] because I did not want to vote for Democrats. This will be the same reason when I leave the Republican Party," writes Minh-Duc of State of Flux in an eloquent personal Declaration of Independence from a party he says will have left him -- in the Reagan sense of his former party, the Democrats, having left him -- if they elect Ray Blount as House Majority Leader:
I became a Republican long before I became a US citizen, long before I came to the US, long before I was old enough to vote. I was a young boy in Vietnam listening clandestinely to Voice of America (VOA) over a short wave radio . . . There, on that old short wave radio, President Reagan gave the "evil empire" speech. Living in a Soviet vassal state, I already knew that they were evil. The inherent evil of the Soviet Union was obvious. But not a single US President had the moral courage to say [the] thing as it was -- not until Ronald Reagan. I knew then that he would be the greatest US President in my life time.
I came to the US in the last year of [the] Reagan Presidency. That was when I learned that my favorite US President is a Republican. I also learned that he favors limited governement. With the past experience with the government where I came from, limited government is a wonderful idea.
Reagan brought me into the party, Newt Gingrich made me a believer. I was an enthusiastic supporter of the Conservative Revolution. Now I fear that the Revolution is dead.
We quoted Minh-Duc -- alongside Peggy Noonan and Hugh Hewitt -- here the other day in arguing the case for the Republicans to get back to their limited-government roots and reduce the source of corruption by reducing the size of government. As Minh-Duc notes:
The current leadership race for the majority leader will determine if the Republican Party is still the Party of Reagan, and that the Conservative Revolution is still alive. Roy Blunt is cut from the same cloth as Tom Delay. He is an opportunistic politician who speaks of small government but funds big government.
But don't look for the Republican leadership to lose much sleep over the inherent corruption of unlimited government. They've got too much "invested" -- to use Paul Chesser's word in his must-read American Spectator article, "It's Not Just Pork" [via Mark Tapscott] -- in the status quo.
A clamor against special appropriations -- pushed in Congress by House Majority Leader candidates John Shadegg of Arizona and John Boehner of Ohio -- is growing, and certainly promising. But while the focus is on pork, attention should also be paid to two other insidious products of meddlesome government: economic development incentives and eminent domain . . .
"Invest" is the favorite buzzword of politicians -- both Democrat and Republican -- who like to use other people's money to take chances in risky businesses. The results are often as scandalous as anything Abramoff has perpetrated.
As is the Supreme Court-endorsed practice of employing eminent domain to give private property to developers, also in the name of economic development . . .
What it represents is a pervasive attitude throughout government, and extending through both political parties, that there are no rights of the people other than those granted by those in political power. Local and state government, with eminent domain and economic incentives, merely represent the farm system that leads to the big-time pork playground.
Will our Porkbuster allies in Congress, together with a new Supreme Court less inclined to discover new "rights" in a "living Constitution," be able to counter what Patrick Chisholm in the Christian Science Monitor calls the insidious "triumph of the redistributionist left."? Or is it too late? Did the commies, via "Stalin's meme war" -- as Eric S. Raymond [via InstaPundit] wrote yesterday -- win our citizens' hearts and minds after all?:
So: we know the Soviets aimed to apply Gramscian subversion as a war weapon against the West, we know they believed themselves to have succeeded in significant ways, and the dominant cultures of the entertainment industry, the press, and academia behave today precisely as we would expect if they had succeeded in those ways (that is, they sneer at traditional values and patriotism and exhibit pervasive left-wing and anti-American bias)
Check out our The Tocquevillians Strike Back for more about Marxist intellectual and politician Antonio Gramsci's role as the father of today's pervasive and debilitating political correctness. As the title of that post suggests, we're as mad as hell, and we're not going to take this any more.
Technorati tags: Porkbusters, Peggy Noonan, Hugh Hewitt, John Shadegg, John Boehner
Posted by Sissy Willis on January 26, 2006 at 07:43 AM in Let's roll!, PorkBusters | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
'The problem is money, and the solution is money"
Sasheen Littlefeather [guess which one in the image above] at Marlon Brando's behest ambushed "The" Academy Awards way back in the dark ages of 1973, blindsiding the gallantly dignified Roger Moore and the elegantly indulgent Liv Ullman with her disingenuous me-victim-you-oppressor assault in what turned out to be one of the first salvos in the Culture Wars that continue to escalate thirty years later.
"The problem is money, and the solution is money," wrote Minh-Duc of State of Flux the other day in a post we'd been meaning to highlight here for its good sense and clear-eyed refusal to take prisoners. Peggy Noonan's tour de force approaching the same topic from a slightly different angle in Opinion Journal Thursday called it to mind. First, Minh-Duc:
More money available to government leads to more corruption. Less money available to the government leads to less corruption. The only long term solution to corruption in government is limited government. We must reduce the source of corruption by reduce the amount of money available to the government.
Leave it to a Vietnamese American who knows the difference between a "fear society" and a free society, to tell it like it is. So does the Divine Miss N in her WSJ "Thoughts on the decline of the liberal media monopoly and the future of the GOP":
Eleven years ago the Democrats lost control of Congress. Then they lost the presidency. But just as important, maybe more enduringly important, they lost their monopoly on the means of information in America. They lost control of the pipeline. Or rather there are now many pipelines, and many ways to use the information they carry.
Peggy was on a roll:
And the end of the monopoly of course isn't only in the news, it's in all media. The other night George Clooney, that beautiful airhead, made a Golden Globe speech in which he made an off-color reference to Jack Abramoff. The audience seemed confused, as people apparently often are when George Clooney speaks. Once, his remark would have been news. Once, Marlon Brando stopped the country in its tracks when he sent Sacheen Littlefeather to make his speech at the Academy Awards.
We remember that awful moment -- incomprehensible at the time -- when Marlon Brando ambushed the previously a-political Academy Awards ceremony to promote an obscure personal political cause no one out here in Middle America had ever heard of. At the time, it was totally annoying but didn't seem like much, and we moved on to a life of hard work, hard play and the pursuit of happiness. As we look back, though, it begins to sound like an early shot across our bow in the Culture Wars. Here's where Peggy Noonan's perfect prose intersects with Minh-Duc's cut to the chase:
More than ever, the Republican Party -- the party ultimately helped by the end of the old monopoly and the reformation of news media -- must be a good party, a decent one, and help our country. That it regain a sense of its historic mission . . . That it return to basic principles on spending, regulation and state authority. That it question a foreign policy that often seems at once dreamy and aggressive, and question, too, an overreaching on immigration policy that seems composed in equal parts of naiveté and cynicism. That its representatives admit that lunching with lobbyists is not the problem; failing to oppose the growth of government -- so huge that no one, really no one, knows what is in its budget -- is. That they reduce the size and power of government. That they help our country.
Amongst the three Republicans now vying for House Majority Leader, Arizona Congressman John Shadegg, a freshman in Newt Ginrich's "Contract with America" Class of 1994 -- check out Hugh Hewitt's interview for the Congressman in his own words -- sounds the most promising:
Hugh Hewitt: Will you introduce and support a proposal to require all earmarks be identified by the name of the requesting member?
John Shadegg: I think my answer to that question is yes. I haven't given . . . I have not formed my specific earmark proposal, but we cannot have earmarks put in where you do not know who they benefit, or where you do not know why they're being done, and where they can't be debated. My understanding is that most . . . well, many earmarks, at least the ones that are abusive, are snuck in, in the dark of night, often by, quite frankly, some powerful members, and rank and file members don't even know about them.
PorkBusters need apply, not to mention TTLB's "Appeal to center-right bloggers."
Technorati tags: Peggy Noonan, John Shadegg, Hugh Hewitt, Shasheen Littlefeather
Posted by Sissy Willis on January 21, 2006 at 06:22 PM in Idiotarianism, Let's roll!, PorkBusters | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
"Somehow I'm guessing you'll have a response to this"
Early-morning light reflected -- albedo, blogged here -- from the window of a house on the west side of the street onto this one on the east side of the street (turned on its side for artistic reasons) in Newburport Sunday is our favorite kind of light. Is that why Crystal Patterson's sunny prose, a refined reflection of her boss's gratuitously scorching spoutings, is so much more to our liking than Senator Kennedy's own reason-blinding rhetoric?
"If we were talking about budget cuts that weren't necessitated by huge tax cuts for the wealthy, the cuts would be easier to understand," emails the sparkling Crystal Patterson of Senator Kennedy's office. It's a party line based upon a faulty understanding of economics in our view. Rather than diminishing the federal pot, tax cuts "for the wealthy" translate to more business and more tax income, and the way to balance things is to cut spending, but try telling that to a "progressive." As a member of the PorkBusters team, we do appreciate the personal touch, though, big time:
I wanted to let you know we are not going to support Senator Coburn and the Fiscal Responsibility Team on this issue. Why? There are a couple of reasons. First, many of the cuts are to programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and student loan programs.
Yes, Crystal, but what about the specific one we PorkBusters identify ourselves with, diversion of the "bridge-to-nowhere" funding up north in Alaska to restoring that bridge across Lake Pontchartrain way down yonder in New Orleans?
Some of the cuts also take away from programs that enforce child support payments from deadbeat parents.
Wait a sec while we turn down the violins here. Our refuge-of-scoundrels alert always goes off at the evocation by polititians of "the children."
I know you are interested in cutting pork, but I'm very hard-pressed to believe that these are the first programs that should be cut -- especially considering that the Republicans are looking to pass another $73 billion in tax cuts next week. The Fiscal Responsibility Team is only responsible if responsible is defined as "actively seeking to finance tax cuts on the backs of the poor and underprivileged." The reason why we are even having talks of budget cuts is because of the massive tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the most wealthy among us.
Crystal is a delightful correspondent -- smooth and blog savvy -- and we salute our senior Senator for having a person of her caliber on his team. She continues:
I think the Porkbusters idea is a good one -- and if we were talking about budget cuts that weren't necessitated by huge tax cuts for the wealthy, the cuts would be easier to understand. Transparency is good, especially when we're talking about taxes and government spending. I'm glad you got in touch (somehow I'm guessing you'll have a response to this ;) ), and I look forward to talking to you more in the future.
How can someone so smart -- and so fun and funny -- be so economically illiterate? We guess it comes with the territory.
Technorati tags: porkbusters, senator coburn, fiscal responsibility team
Posted by Sissy Willis on November 02, 2005 at 07:18 AM in PorkBusters | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Senator Kennedy is firmly in the "Neutral/Undecided" column
"I am making phone calls on this right now," writes our beloved Crystal Patterson of tedkennedy.com, Internet Operations Manager of Kennedy for Senate. She's as cute and smart as a button, the light of our local-politicians'-foot-to-the-fire life, so we can never stay angry with her for long, but hey, little gal, what's the story? That was 9:21 this morning, and we haven't heard a word from you since re where your boss, the senior senator from Taxachusetts, stands on Senator Tom Coburn's proposed "offset package" aimed at identifying budget cuts to pay for hurricane relief, announced a week ago today. We just checked in at PorkBusters Central only to learn -- much to our non surprise -- that Senator Kennedy is firmly in the "Neutral / Undecided" column. Still, we would have preferred to have been told to our face by the likes of you. Will you confirm that that's where he "stands"?
Posted by Sissy Willis on November 01, 2005 at 06:09 PM in PorkBusters | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
"The pig is starting to look worried"
"Here's a snazzy new PorkBusters graphic by Karl Egenberger," writes InstaPundit. "Feel free to use it. Note that the pig is starting to look worried."
"Last week, [Senator Tom] Coburn and six other Senators released an 'offset package' aimed at identifying budget cuts to pay for hurricane relief," writes New Zealand Bear, announcing a shift in PorkBusters' focus from raising awareness of pork to calling attention to specific legislation that actually starts eliminating pork:
The first bill that we are focusing on is sponsored by seven Senators who have styled themselves the "Fiscal Responsibility Team": Tom Coburn, Sam Brownback, Jim DeMint, John Ensign, Lindsey Graham, John McCain [Gak], and John Sununu.
I had the pleasure of being invited to a conference call with Senator Coburn last week [blogged here]. I was impressed by what appeared to me to be his sincere desire to confront the idiocy involved in our current fiscal policies, even if it meant pissing off his fellow Senators.
The key provision in the bill for our purposes is that it would elminate all "offsets" (i.e., pork) in the highway bill --- wiping away a vast chunk of pork in a single stroke.
Here's where we bloggers and our readers come in.
The Porkbusters page at TTLB will now show, state by state, which Senators have signed on in support of this proposal, and which are opposing it. As before, we are encouraging bloggers and blog-readers to contact their Senators to find out their positions and report back to us.
Off to the phones again. Last time we talked with Will Johnson of Senator Kerry's Main District Office in Boston -- October 20 -- re how his boss would vote on one of Coburn's amendments then about to be voted upon that would have redirected bridge funding from Alaska to New Orleans, the aide told us Senator Kerry "may not have made up his mind yet" on that one, but he, Will Johnson, would be certain to call us as soon as he found out. We're still waiting for that call. Similar story with Tom Crohan of Senator Kennedy's Main District Office, who promised to call back as soon as he knew his boss's decision. The vote occurred later that day, and Coburn's amendments were overwhelmingly voted down. We're 100% sure how our own Taxachusetts Senators will vote, but let's see if we can get their frontmen to come right out and say so. 'Will update as soon as we get word. All PorkBusting all the time here. We support the Fiscal Watch Team Offset Package!
Update: Senator Kerry still hasn't made up his mind, but when we teased aide Will Johnson during a phone conversation this afternoon that we're pretty sure how his boss will vote, he acknowledged "I think that's going to be the case." Close enough to put him down as one of the "Opposing Senators" on TTLB's Senate Responses page? We think so.
Update: We love this man's way with words.
Posted by Sissy Willis on October 31, 2005 at 02:23 PM in PorkBusters | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
"The white house is beginning to feel the heat"
"It's a war of attrition, not a quick hit," writes Glenn Reynolds, hot off "an interesting conference call with Sen. Coburn and several other bloggers":
We discussed a lot of ways to increase transparency in funding bills, and it was clear that (1) the White House is beginning to feel the heat; and (2) this will be going on over the next year.
"One of the suggestions from the bloggers (New Zealand Bear Mark Tapscott -- thanks to Kevin Aylward of Wizbang for the update) was that the Senator use the 'porkbuster' term," adds Wizbang:
It was noted that the word "earmark," while technically accurate, didn't have the same resonance . . . One of the key points discussed is how 'sunshine' is the enemy of pork barrel earmark spending. The process has been deliberately gamed by Congress to provide as little light on last minute changes, congressional earmarks, and other sundry spending tricks. As the "Bridge To Nowhere" episode showed, when pork-filled projects attached onto large appropriation bills are spotlighted, it becomes very uncomfortable for legislators to stand up and fight for boondoggles.
"I took [Sen. Coburn's] message to the blogosphere to be: 'Those of us in the Senate who are serious about cutting spending need the blogosphere's help to make it happen,'" reports John Hawkins of Right Wing News:
So, if you're a blogger looking to hammer away on government spending, hit it hard!
"The Coburn amendments were decisively voted down, but markers were laid down in the process, and millions of Americans were watching closely as senators cast their votes on the proposals," observes Mark of Tapscott's Copy Desk:
As a result, those votes may well have more to do with the future career prospects of a number of senators who opposed Coburn than any of them, or the mainstream media, now realize.
Let's hope so. We're on the case as a fellow PorkBuster trying to put our squealing Taxachusetts troughsmen's trotters to the fire, but beyond what we can do, we're most encouraged by Glenn Reynolds's impression that "the White House is beginning to feel the heat."
Technorati tags: porkbusters, senator coburn
Senator Kerry "may not have made up his mind yet"
Unlike Senator Kerry, who "may not have made up his mind yet" about Coburn Amendment #2085 to H.R. 3058, the Transportation appropriations biill, Baby Cakes knows his mind and stands on principle. Note slightly matted ruff still drying from latest "Nature's Miracle" Skunk Odor Remover treatment.
"When the [Coburn] Amendment is considered, I'll tell you how he votes," promised Will Johnson of Senator Kerry's Main District Office in Boston after a little nudging on our part during a brief phone conversation early this afternoon. H.R. 3058 -- the Treasury, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill -- was on the Senate floor, he reported, but when we asked Mr. Johnson where his boss stood on the Coburn Amendment -- blogged here -- he protested that there were, fergossake, 137 amendments, and Kerry "may not have made up his mind yet" on this particular one. 'Reminds us of RI Sen. Chaffee's and Reed's response to blogger Caroll Andrew Morse, as reported by InstaPundit:
The staffers were very polite and professional, but both offices informed me they couldn't share the Senator's position until after the vote was taken.
Is this really how deliberative democracy is supposed to work? Aren't public officials supposed to make their positions on issues, well, public.
Tom Crohan of Senator Kennedy's Main District Office, meanwhile, didn't seem to have heard of the Coburn Amendment but offered nonethless that "I imagine he will vote for it." Probably not, but he, too, took our name and number and promised to call back. We don't expect the Senators of Taxachusetts to prefer pork busting to raising taxes "on the wealthy" but just wanted something for the record. Too much to ask of our elected officials?
Update: This just in from Mark Tapscott's Copy Desk [via InstaPundit]: "Senate Overwhelmingly Rejects Three Coburn Anti-Pork Amendments." Since one of those amendments was an animal shelter in Westerly, RI, we are torn. Still no word yet on that bridge too far, which -- Coburn's office emails InstaPundit -- is "coming up shortly."
Update II: In prompt reply to an email we sent earlier today, Senator Kennedy's Internet Operations Manager, Crystal Patterson -- who, we just discovered via Google, posts at Daily Kos, known among bloggers on the right right side of the aisle as Moonbat Central -- promises to let Senator Kennedy know where we stand on the Coburn Amendment and adds:
I have a call in to find out, I'll see what I can find out for you.
Thanks so much, Crystal. We can't wait to hear.
Posted by Sissy Willis on October 20, 2005 at 01:45 PM in Look to the animals, PorkBusters | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (1)
"They need to be asked"
The view from here. Bulk carrier "Marybelle," sailing under the colors of Panama, unloads its cargo acoss the street at Eastern Salt as the setting sun ignites the sky in l'heure bleue shades of Monet.
"MoveOn.org is organizing its members to encourage Congress to keep federal pork projects and waste taxpayer dollars, and we need your help to counter their attack on your pocketbook," emails Drew Bond of Town Hall, urging readers to call their members of Congress and tell 'em to support the Republican Study Committee's Operation Offset:
From a "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska to a fish hatchery in Montana, your household pays $22,000 PER YEAR for federal spending and pork -- the first time spending has reached this level since World War II. A few brave members of Congress have proposed "Operation Offset" to cover the costs of disaster relief by eliminating wasteful pork projects.
The next few days are critical to Congress' progress cutting federal mismanagement of YOUR money and reprioritizing federal spending. They must know their constituents are watching.
Speaking of that Alaskan "bridge to nowhere," InstaPundit calls our attention to the Coburn Amendment, filed by Senator Coburn (R-OK) yesterday to the TTHUD appropriations bill and backed by The Club for Growth, that would transfer funding from the wasteful Alaska pork project to the repair and reconstruction of the "Twin Spans" bridge in Louisiana:
It's setting the precedent whereby members of Congress go after each other's taxpayer-shafting pork projects rather than turning a blind eye and engaging in logrolling.
It seems to me that this makes it an especially good project for bloggers to get behind, and to encourage their senators to support.
I think the country is better off with transparency, and I'd like to hear any Senator who opposes this measure explain why he or she favors funding a bridge that could buy a personal jet for every inhabitant of Gravina Island, instead of spending the money on fixing ruined bridges that people actually use in Louisiana. They won't want to talk about that, of course, but they need to be asked.
Let's ask 'em. We'll be calling our Rep, Michael Capuano, first thing tomorrow about Operation Offset and then on to Senators Kennedy and Kerry to urge them to support the Coburn Amendment. We know already that all three are on the side of MoveOn's "Stop the Reverse Robin Hood Budget" initiative and wouldn't dream of cutting an ounce of pork, but it's sound civic practice to let them know where we stand, and it's good clean fun to watch their minions squirm. Click here for links to your own members of Congress, and give 'em a little taste of that PorkBusters spirit.
Update: Favorite son Matt Margolis of Blogs for Bush invites readers to submit questions or comments he can take to the first-of-its-kind Capital Hill blogging conference with Representatives tomorrow. New Zealand Bear has set up a clearinghouse page to highlight participating bloggers' posts.
Update II: Mark Tapscott thinks "This could be a defining moment for America":
Mr. Smith is Back in Washington, and his name is Tom Coburn.
We like the sound of that.
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text:
Another step on the writing path with kids
Life | Reading | Writing
Mr7 and I have been talking about description lately. His English classes at school are beginning to move along from straight recount – we did this, and then we did this, and then we did this – and into writing.
His teacher has been trying to encourage some description. He is not keen. He feels the descriptions distract from the story.
I understand how he feels. I've read too many books in my time that required me to wade through pages and pages of adjectives before I could spot any semblance of plot.
But it's also difficult to build a writerly picture without it. The Cat Sat On The Mat. Straightforward plot. But what kind of cat was it? What colour? Long-haired? Short-haired? White socks on its paws? Was the mat a deep-pile oasis of luxury, or a rough, hairy, rubber-backed doormat?
We went for a little bushwalk on Saturday, during a break in the weather, as raindrops dripped off leaves around us and we jumped over the puddles (or through them in Mr4's case). As we walked, I asked Mr7 what he could smell.
He took a long, hard, seven-year-old sniff.
"Air," he shrugged.
"Remember we were talking about description?" I asked. He nodded. "How would you describe the smell?"
He sniffed again. And again. "I don't know, mum," he said, desperation in his voice. He likes to get things right. "Is there lavender in there somewhere?"
I laughed. "Can you smell the rain on the leaves?"
Yes, he could.
"Can you smell the fresh, tangy eucalyptus oil from those gum trees?"
"Can you smell those soggy leaves, rotting on the ground?"
He nodded again. And thought.
"That's description, isn't it, mum?"
Yep. Lesson over. We'll save the other senses for another day.
How do you feel about description in books? The more the better, or do you prefer just enough to keep the story rolling along?
Would you love more writing advice for kids? Check out my Creative Writing Quest, a 12-module online course with the Australian Writers' Centre that takes kids, step-by-step, through the process of creative writing – from idea to producing an edited story.
All the course details are here.
Anonymous on August 1, 2012 at 7:46 am
I like plot. Always have. As a child I skipped all the italicised bits in the text, inluding the poetry in Lewis Carroll (heathen!).
Kellie on May 3, 2011 at 9:55 pm
I like just enough to keep the story rolling along. I get frustrated by long descriptive passages that take me nowhere. I figure that's what my imagination is for. Give me enough just to paint an outline and let me do the rest. But that's just me…!! 😉
ClaireyH on May 2, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Give me the story not all the waffle. Sometimes I just skip a few pages to get back to what is happening. But they may be less well written books, I do seem to read a lot of trash in between the good novels.
MultipleMum on May 2, 2011 at 9:37 pm
I scan the descriptive passages most of the time. It is all about characters and dialogue for me. Just like real life x
River on May 2, 2011 at 6:40 pm
I definitely prefer just enough to keep the story moving. Alittle that pertains to the moment is fine, but I really don't need to know how many ruffles are on the petticoat, or how many different shades of ochre are in the rocks of the cliff someone is about to tumble off.
Melanie on May 2, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Allison, you had me even smelling that beautiful Aussie air clear back here in Utah, USA. I think Mr7 has a wonderful teacher when it comes to his writing. Thanks for teaching us in the meantime.
Jodie at Mummy Mayhem on May 2, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Yup – the 9yo and the 7yo and I have had similar conversations. I often read books to them and then repeat the really descriptive sentences and say…'Now, what did you think of that?' 'Very descriptive, Mum!' YES!!! Now go forth and do!!!
In general, it's getting them to also include more details in their story-writing. The 9yo's teacher in Year 2 very much pressed upon them the 'who, what, where, how and why' when writing.
I'm a big believer in that by reading quality literature, their writing will blossom. The 9yo has been reading the Narnia series and some other great books over the past year and we've found his writing has improved ten fold. Captain Underpants is entertaining, but doesn't do much for their writing, I'm afraid!
Great post, Al. xxx
Francesca on May 2, 2011 at 12:15 pm
I've wondered sometimes whether the appreciation of description in writing falls along gender lines. My husband cannot tolerate it. I appreciate it a lot but of course, need it to be done well. Sometimes I four word sentence evokes more than 2 pages of description. I think of Raymond Carver, Richard Ford, Carson McCullers and Kate Grenville and I am in awe of their power of description. With writing so sparse and words so carefully chosen they create worlds that completely transport me.
I think you cannot have truly good writing without skilled description. But that's just me!
Mum on the Run on May 2, 2011 at 11:09 am
Hi Allison,
In the spirit of blogging and in recognition of your great blog, I'd like to pass 'The Versatile Blogger' award to you.
In accepting the award, there's just a few rules. (Who'd have thought awards had rules?!)
*Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their site (www.mummyontherun.blogspot.com) in your post.
*Tell us 7 things about yourself in your blog post.
*Pass the award on to 15 'newly discovered' bloggers.
*Contact these bloggers to let them know you have given them the award.
Shar (Mum On The Run) 🙂
InkPaperPen on May 2, 2011 at 9:40 am
we spoke a lot about this at the writer's workshop I recently went to. A man in the class said he hated reading pages and pages of writing to description, but then he said later he had come to the workshop to get better at writing long descriptions! I think like Sarah said above – it depends upon the writer
I like the way Tim Winton describes…Keeps me reading on anyhow
cjtato on May 2, 2011 at 9:33 am
PS. I agree Mr7 has a fabulous teacher. It made me think of how I would describe it while I was reading too.
My Miss Tween is fantastic at writing though. She could teach me a thing or two I'm sure.
I'm not great at visualising the description anyway so something that captures it in a few words is good for me. I get lost with too much description. 😀
Itsme. on May 2, 2011 at 8:55 am
We moms are always thinking of ways to help our littles with this kind of stuff. My littles are all teens and I miss these kinds of teaching moments.
As for descriptive writing…Sara Gruen in Water for Elephants does it exactly perfectly the way I like it. I have never had a book that I recommended based on the style of writing as much as the story as I did with this one.
There has to be a good mix of description, plot and character development.
Donna on May 2, 2011 at 8:52 am
What a wonderful teacher you are! His English teacher will no doubt be impressed…
Personally, I am overly fond of exquisitely crafted descriptive paragraphs. Paint me a picture with words any day!
Tenille @ Help!Mum on May 2, 2011 at 8:43 am
I think it depends on the writer too. I once made the mistake of picking up a Matthew Riley paperback (I actually paid money for it) right before a long bus trip. The tedium of detail saw me chose to study the patterned carpet of the seat in front of me rather than suffer a further page.
Kim H on May 2, 2011 at 8:06 am
Hey, perfect example of natural learning, Allison. Has to be the loveliest way to learn, don't you think?
I love description in a story but I don't like it when it's forced and over done. If there's a house or garden or beautiful scenery involved then the more description the better!
Cate Bolt on May 2, 2011 at 8:04 am
I've struggled with this too. I'm with mr 7, just get to the point. It's a fine line between painting a picture and putting people to sleep. Maybe because my background is journalism where you have a limited space to get the facts out. I wondered with my manuscript if I'd gone far enough with the flowery nonsense but it would be far too long if I went on any further.
Jodi Gibson on May 2, 2011 at 6:42 am
The key is balance. I think good writers use description well enough to paint a picture for the reader, but then also encourage the reader to use their imagination and their interpretation. I love being taken away by descriptive writing and then taking it even further in my mind. That is good writing. 🙂
Tracy Todd on May 2, 2011 at 6:04 am
I like enough detail to let me know where I am, the mood, the basics… too much is overkill though. Let me build parts of it in my mind if the setting does not have to be exact to carry the plot. I love that you made the lesson real-life based for Mr 7. Great teachers try to do that every day!
Here Under the Rainbow on May 2, 2011 at 4:36 am
Thank you for stopping by and leaving me a thoughtful comment. I'm happy to discover you through Ah Possibilities!
Descriptive writing is not my strong suit but appreciate writers who mastered this. May be I have a bias – too much description is like piling too much sprinkles, nuts, granolas, fruit or what have you on an already amazing chocolate ice cream. Chocolate ice cream just tastes so darn good solo and in a cup.
Aakriti Malik on May 2, 2011 at 4:02 am
awww….this is soooo cute:) U are such an intelligent mum..Wow a walk in the woods. Sigh if only I could stay in such a place. I personally don't like much descriptions. but well they do give u a sense. I prefer little..and would rather like the plot than the descriptions:P
Nita Davis on May 2, 2011 at 2:57 am
I love the way you helped Mr7 learn about descriptive writing. When it comes to reading and writing I much prefer to have all my senses invoked. I will have to be careful not to get too carried away with my adjectives when writing.
Tai Tai on May 2, 2011 at 12:01 am
What Maxabella said 😉 x
Maxabella on May 1, 2011 at 10:56 pm
I like careful description. Writers that select words that ooze with meaning so a whole sentence isn't even required.
stellaorbit.com on May 1, 2011 at 10:51 pm
What I love about this particular story is that you 'showed' him description. Beautiful lesson.
AMBIVALENCE on May 1, 2011 at 10:41 pm
I am doing a creative writing course at the moment and am writing a story, where I am very close to the main character, and inside his thoughts. Therefore descriptions are also descriptions of thoughts and experiences, as well as descriptions of a place or people.
Describing the smell of damp leaves are also thoughts that a character would be thinking as he walks along the path. After all he would notice those leaves wouldn't he if he's there.
We actually did a session on writing based on a picture.
I have often wondered how much do you leave to the imagination. Yet somebody said that she could imagine a place in my story to be dark, even though I didn't write that. It is interesting isn't it, that you can go so far with describing objects, yet the reader can get a sense of the atmosphere anyway, without you spelling out every detail.
Do you have to describe that somebody suffered a nightmare? Probably not, because the circumstances were obviously a nightmare if he then got up, went to the toilet and then went back to bed.
Plus there is a huge difference between writing as an adult and writing a story for school. Things seem to flow more instinctually as an adult and you can go back and fill in the gaps another day.
I am no expert, but there must be a fine line between writing pages of un-necessary info before you get to the plot and padding it out enough to create imagination, so it's not too hard to read.
Description seems to go with everything: creating a character, places, how he/she reacts to things.
If something was all description, it would also be very passive and no plot and you don't want that either.
Diminishing Lucy on May 1, 2011 at 10:34 pm
I like short sharp shiny decriptions that paint a vivid picture.
Otherwise, get me to the dialogue.
Olivia has just started to complete "expositions". I had to look up what that meant…so I suspect your Mr 7 has a much better ancillary teacher in you, than Olivia can ever hope for…
Kevin on May 1, 2011 at 10:21 pm
I'm a fan of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. But she can go on and on with the descriptions. It's overwhelming at times. I've skipped two or three pages before and the story never progressed passed some useless description of Lestat's clothes.
S. Morgenstern's The Princess Bride is another example of an overuse of descriptions. If I am remembering correctly, for 40 pages he described Princess Buttercup's doll collection she had in the castle.
Overkill.
Good for Mr7 for taking his school so seriously. And good for you for such a great lesson in sensory perception.
Sarah Mac on May 1, 2011 at 10:20 pm
Some writers do it beautifully and paint a real picture with their words. Gerald Durrell does it so well you can see, hear, smell and taste his description of growing up in Corfu. I can (and do)read it over and over.
Me on May 1, 2011 at 10:13 pm
More and more I like sparse writing. I actually find it more evocative because it allows me to conjure it in my mind. A few brush strokes is all I want. Tim Winton comes to mind. It's an art though, to describe without it seeming like you are pausing to describe.
Squiggly Rainbow on May 1, 2011 at 10:12 pm
I think it depends on what type of description for me. If it does not interest me and is boring – then no. We began reading The Wind in The Willows tonight as a family story – I was surprised how we all loved the quirky details. Beautiful language too, it was written over 100 years ago – but the sense of wonderful words was magic.
Do love those experiences, your bush walk looks quite like where we live!
Rach x
Sarah on May 1, 2011 at 10:08 pm
It really depends on the text and the writer. For instance Hardy leaves me actually wanting more of his descriptive writing because he's such a genius with description, while other writers leave me thinking "finish up already and get back to the plot." There's a level of skill required with descriptive writing which requires lots of practice. Sounds like Mr 7 has a bloody good teacher 😉
From blog to book – via Twitter
One of the downsides of freelance writing: Life Envy
Everyone should have a Beautiful Rock
Uh-oh - Mum's cooking a lamb roast
Swimming: A life (and lifestyle) skill

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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From Sam Brown. Transposed a minor third down from Michael Arden's version. Recommended for baritones. Key of F. The low note is A2. The high note is F4.
Performed by Michael Arden in the key of Ab at the Laurie Beechman on May 4, 2008.


text:
Q: Find the roots of this 6th degree polynomial Hey guys I'm reviewing for a test and I'm getting stuck on one part, I can't remember what to do next.
$x^6+16x^3+64$
$(x^3)^2+16x^3+64$
let $x^3=w$
$w^2+16w+64$
$(w+8)^2$ now substitute again
$(x^3+8)^2$
Now what do I do?

A: We can actually factor anything in the form $x^3+a^3$ into $(x+a)(x^2-ax+a^2)$.
$x^3+8$ can be factored into the following:
$$x^3+8 = x^3+2^3 =(x+2)(x^2-2x+4)$$
We actually have $(x^3+8)^2$, however we are setting this value to equal $0$ to find the roots so we can just take the square root of both sides and obtain:
$$x^3+8 = 0$$
$$(x+2)(x^2-2x+4) = 0$$
We know now that $x+2 = 0$ so $-2$ is a solution. We also know that $x^2-2x+4=0$ gives us a solution. So if we use the quadratic formula, we get:
\begin{align*}
\frac{-(-2)\pm\sqrt{(-2)^2-4\cdot1\cdot4}}{2\cdot1}&= \frac{2\pm\sqrt{-12}}{2} \\
&= \frac{2\pm2\sqrt{3}i}{2} \\
&= {1\pm\sqrt{3}i}
\end{align*}
So our solutions are:
$$\boxed{-2, {1+\sqrt{3}i}, {1-\sqrt{3}i}}$$

A: Then you have to solve $x^3+8=0$:
\begin{align*}
x^3+8=0\Longleftrightarrow
x^3=-8
\end{align*}
But
$$
-8=8(-1)=8e^{i\pi}
$$
Thus
$$
x=2e^{ki\pi/3}\;\;\;\;k=0,1,2.
$$
Hence
$$
x^6+16x^3+64=(x^3+8)^3=(x-2)^3(x-2e^{i\pi/3})^3(x-2e^{2i\pi/3})^3
$$

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Warning - this post is somewhat (read: very) introspective. It's my journal - it's just for my benefit.
Last night I was in a very strange mood. I think it was because I was missing kissycat1000 but I realised that wasn't the real reason. The mood was like an apathy brought on by frustration. I made my apologies and went to bed, hoping to wake up without the mood in the morning.
Unfortunately this didn't happen and although I'm feeling happier now, I wanted to deal with the feelings. I'm slowly trying to get to grips with why I feel this way, and I think it has to do with the amount of change and uncertainty and lack of progress in my life at the moment. I guess I'm just one of those people who wants to do things and get somewhere. Perhaps I just need to grow up a little and realise that everything has to have an amount of caution, planning and patience thrown in with it. Bah that sounds very boring.
The things I'm referring to for instance is my bike. I'm still dealing with the aftermath of having it stolen - fighting the insurance company for the full worth of the bike, planning if, when and how to get another one, and the measures I'll have to take to make sure it doesn't get stolen again - which in itself is frustrating as I haven't come up with a solution that won't require too much effort every time I want to secure my bike (eg. trying to squeeze it into the space just in front of the house to lock it up to a ring I'll embed in the concrete there).
As a side-effect of all this my cashflow is appauling, adding to frustrations.
Although my relationship with kissycat1000 is fantastic and I love her to pieces, I guess I have a nagging worry that her situation means it could change drastically without notice.
My job situation is going through large amounts of change too as I am wrapping up the project I have been working on for the last year, and need energy and motivation which I just don't feel like to push myself and get a project with a lot of responsibilities which will further my career. I am also again frustrated with the fact that I am still on graduate wages after a year and a half with the company.
And of course the on-going troubles with computers which never seem to get sorted no matter how much effort I expend on them, and are currently less sorted as I have a number of bust components I need to negotiate replacements for and return the originals.
The final straw last night was that I couldn't have a cup of tea because I had no milk and I couldn't go shopping because the supermarkets were closed. Yes the Spar was open but I wanted to get food in as I haven't been shopping for ages.
As a consequence I just withdrew and felt annoyed and frustrated with myself for being unsociable and unable to deal with it. I also admitted to insecurities in the form of jealousy towards kissycat1000's making of new friends. I know I'm fine if I'm out socialising because the immediacy of the situation pushes the nagging worries out of the back of my mind but they're there ready to upset me in quieter times, upsetting friends who I hang around with like my housemates and Burney and dylan for example.
I'm also worried that I seem to be viewing my relationship with kissycat1000 as a means of escape. I must ground myself more in reality - dig in and get some of this stuff sorted out. Apart from anything else she needs my support - if not now then very shortly, so I can't have things of my own to deal with when that time comes.


text:
La médaille de la Marne est une décoration associative française destinée à distinguer les soldats ayant pris part aux deux   (la première bataille de la Marne, en 1914 sous les ordres du général Joffre et à la seconde sous les ordres du général Foch), en particulier, cette médaille était destinée à être décernée aux participants des combats de la semaine du 6 au  qui vit se dérouler les combats sur le front de Senlis à Verdun.

Elle a été créée le  par l'association Les Soldats de la Marne, habilitée à la remettre et l'action de cette société patriotique fut continuée par l'association Mondement 1914, issue des soldats de la Marne.

La Médaille de la Marne fut présentée au Général de Gaulle par le président de l'association Les Soldats de la Marne, le Commandant Paul Gauvin. Ceci à Esternay, Jean-Pierre Elkabbach, alors journaliste de la radio était aussi présent.

Description

Insigne
En bronze d'un module de , cette médaille comporte sur l'avers, la tête casquée tenant la poignée d'un sabre, avec au-dessus « LA MARNE ». Au revers, « SOLDAT DE LA MARNE » écrit en gros caractères avec en haut de la Médaille « 1914 » en bas « 1918 » entourée d'une couronne de lauriers.

Ruban
Vert, avec trois bandes rouges verticales soulignées de blanc.

Voir aussi

Liens internes
 Décorations militaires (France)
 Rubans des décorations militaires et civiles françaises

Liens externes

Marne
Marne
Décoration militaire de la Première Guerre mondiale

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Sent in by Steve Rauch at The Unofficial World of Nintendo!!! If you ever get trapped, or want a password, pause the game, then press Up and A on Controller 2, to go to the Password Screen.
Sent in by Sean Kelly at The Unofficial World of Nintendo!!! To do the wall jump, open a door then do into it just a little bit and let it close on you. Then just keep on jumping and press Down once and a while to turn into a ball than you instantly jump out. You will slowly scale up the wall. Beware if you are not careful you will get stuck.
Sent in by Jesse Smith at The Unofficial World of Nintendo!!! YAZGPP If you press the Start button during a game, you go to the password screen. YAZGZP You can't pause the game. YAZKOP You start with no energy. YAGKSP When you get a big item, you don't have to wait for the music to continue. YAIKXP If you get a big item, you end up at the start with the item. YAAKVO Start the game higher or lower than normal. YAPGNP Start the game more at the left. YAYGNP Infinite life. After you die, press a direction and you come back to life with no energy. NNNSXLIE 255 Missles on pick up NYXGVPLE Start with over 1,600 on life. Warning, Don't get any thing that gives you life YNSGNVSA 1 hit and your dead LLLVKV At the place where there is a ball, there ia an elevator. It takes you to the same place, but the graphics are different.


text:
TRAI note states regulations, Tariff order commence on 3rd July, 2018 to now be completed by broadcasters in terms of the recent Supreme Court dismissal of the appeal
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ("TRAI") has notified a new set of Regulations in 2017 which comprises the following-
a. The Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Eight) (Addressable Systems) Tariff Order, 2017 dated 03.03.2017 as amended on 30.03.2017 ["Tariff Order"]
b. The Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Regulations, 2017 dated 03.03.2017 ["Interconnection Regulation"]
c. The Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Standards of Quality of Service and Consumer Protection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 dated 03.03.2017 ["Quality of Service Regulations"]
d. TRAI Press Note dated 03.07.2018
All the timelines as prescribed in the Tariff Order, Interconnection Regulations and Quality of Services Regulations have commenced from the 3rd of July, 2018 and therefore, all the Service Providers are required to comply with the provisions of the above said in a fresh manner from the said date and the same has have to necessarily be complied with by the Broadcasters after a challenge to the Regulations and Tariff Order by Broadcaster Star has been set aside by a division bench of the Honorable Supreme Court. In terms of TRAI's Press Note on the same, the following compliances have to be met by the Broadcasters-
The Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Eight)(Addressable Systems) Tariff Order, 2017: Declaration of MRP and nature of Channels by Broadcasters within 60 days; Declaration of Network Capacity fee and Distribution Retail Price (DRP) by Distributors (DPO) within 180 days; Reporting by Broadcasters within 120 days;
The Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017: Publication of Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) ny Broadcasters within 60 days; Publication of Reference Interconnect (RIO) by Distributors within 60 days; Signing of the interconnection agreements within 150 days;
The Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Standards of Quality of Service and Consumer Protection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017: Migration of the subscribers to the new framework within 180 days; Establishment of Customer Care Centre, Website, Consumer Care Channel and Publication of Manual of Practice within 120 days.
It is important to note that the Writ Petitions challenging the Regulations and Tariff Order on merits are pending before the Hon'ble Delhi High Court and are listed on 12.11.2018
Back to news and update


Dr. Ron Waksman, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, 110 Irving Street, NW, Suite 4B-1, Washington, DC 20010.
Transcaval access enables delivery of large-caliber devices to the aorta in patients with small or diseased iliofemoral arteries (1,2). The technique has been described in detail elsewhere (3) and requires pre-procedural computed tomography planning to identify a calcium-free 7.6 mm × 9.3 mm target window in the aorta through which transcaval access can be established (Figures 1A–C, Online Video 1) (4).
(A) Three-dimensional reconstruction of the abdominal aorta in right anterior oblique projection showing calcium in the aortic wall (Online Video 1). (B, C) Thick- and thin-slice coronal images of the abdominal aorta showing distribution of calcium and intended crossing target (arrow). (D) Balloon angioplasty demonstrated a tight focal waist (arrow) at the aortic wall. (E) Laser atherectomy catheter positioned against the aortic wall (arrow) (Online Video 2). (F) Wide-bore access sheath advanced into the aorta from the inferior vena cava. The aortic wall entry point is marked by the arrow (Online Videos 3 and 4). (G) Closure of the transcaval tract with a nitinol closure device (arrow) (Online Video 5). (H) Pre-discharge computed tomography confirmed complete closure of the tract.
Pre-procedural CT planning to identify target crossing site for transcaval access.
Excimer Laser preparation of the calcified aortic wall.
Dilatation of the transcaval tract with a 12 Fr Dryseal sheath (Gore Medical, Flagstaff, Arizona).
Delivery of 16 Fr e-sheath (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California).
Closure of the transcaval tract with a 10/8mm Amplatzer Duct Occluder I (St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, Minnesota).
An energized 0.014'' guidewire was advanced from cava into aorta. Telescoping catheters comprising a 145-cm 0.014''/0.035'' Piggyback wire convertor (Vascular Solutions, Minneapolis, Minnesota) inside a 90-cm 0.035'' Navicross microcatheter (Terumo, Tokyo, Japan) would not cross the calcified wall of the aorta. Dilatation of the aortic wall revealed a tight focal waist on a 2.5-mm noncompliant balloon inflated to 28 atm (Figure 1D), and the microcatheter still would not cross. Further preparation of the aortic wall was performed using a 0.9-mm X-80 Excimer Laser Coronary Atherectomy catheter (Spectranetics, Colorado Springs, Colorado) with 6 passes at high power (80 mJ/mm2) and high repletion rate (80 Hz) (Figure 1E, Online Video 2), following which the telescoping catheter system was successfully advanced into the aorta. After exchanging to a stiff 0.035'' guidewire and pre-dilating with a 12-F sheath, a 16-F eSheath (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California) was advanced into the aorta (Figure 1F, Online Videos 3 and 4) and a 29 mm Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter valve (Edwards Lifesciences) was deployed without complication.
Protamine was administered before closure of the transcaval tract with a 10/8 mm Amplatzer Duct Occluder I (St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, Minnesota) (Figure 1G, Online Video 5). Final angiography revealed type II closure, defined as patent aortocaval fistula with "cruciform" contrast flow around the neck of the occluder but with return to the cava (3). This is the most common immediate closure pattern, seen in over 40% of cases. Post-operative day 2 contrast-enhanced computed tomography confirmed complete closure without retroperitoneal hematoma (Figure 1H). In summary, laser enables transcaval access in heavily calcified aorta.
Dr. Rogers has been the coinventor of devices, not tested in this report, intended to close transcaval access. Dr. Waksman has served as a consultant for Abbott Vascular, Amgen, Biosensors International, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Corindus, Lifetech Medical, Medtronic, and Philips Volcano; has served on the advisory board for Abbott Vascular, Amgen, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, and Philips Volcano; has served on the Speakers Bureau for AstraZeneca and Chiesi; has received grant support from Abbott Vascular, Biosensors International, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Chiesi, and Edwards Lifesciences; and owns equity in MedAlliance. Dr. Slack has served as proctor and consultant for St. Jude Medical/Abbott. Dr. Satler has reported that he has no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.
Revision received September 28, 2017.
(2017) Transcaval access and closure for transcatheter aortic valve replacement: a prospective investigation. J Am Coll Cardiol 69:511–521.
(2015) How to perform transcaval access and closure for transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 86:1242–1254.
(2017) Anatomic suitability for transcaval access based on computed tomography. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 10:1–10.


text:
const UXRegExp = require('../uxregexp');

describe('UXRegExp:', () => {
  var matches = new UXRegExp('(?:a)(?:b)(c)(?<X>x)(?<Y>y)(?<Z>z)(?:d)(e)(?:f)').exec('PREabcxyzdefPOST');
  describe('non-capturing groups (?:...)', () => {
    it('should not be counted', () => {
      expect(matches.groups[1]).toBe('c');
    });
  });
  describe('named groups', () => {
    it('should provide their value in matches.groups[name] (?<name>...)', () => {
      expect(matches.groups.X).toBe('x');
      expect(matches.groups.Y).toBe('y');
      expect(matches.groups.Z).toBe('z');
    });
    it('should increment the number for numbered groups', () => {
      expect(matches.groups[5]).toBe('e');
    });
    // it('should also be added as numbered group', () => {
    //   expect(matches.groups[2]).toBe('x');
    //   expect(matches.groups[3]).toBe('y');
    //   expect(matches.groups[4]).toBe('z');
    // });
  });
  describe('other results:', () => {
    it('all', () => {
      expect(matches.all).toBe('abcxyzdef');
    });
    it('pre', () => {
      expect(matches.pre).toBe('PRE');
    });
    it('post', () => {
      expect(matches.post).toBe('POST');
    });
  });
  describe('additional info:', () => {
    it('names should be collected', () => {
      expect(matches.names).toEqual([ 1, 'X', 'Y', 'Z', 5 ]);
    });
    it('index should match input', () => {
      for(name of matches.names) {
        var start = matches.infos[name].index;
        var end = start + matches.groups[name].length;
        expect(matches.input.slice(start, end)).toBe(matches.groups[name]);
      }
    });
    it('pre', () => {
      expect(matches.pre).toBe('PRE');
    });
    it('post', () => {
      expect(matches.post).toBe('POST');
    });
  });
})

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
June 23, 2018 April 27, 2021 Dionisius Endy
Peter Allen – Boy From OZ
My personal impression from Australian mini-series tells the remarkable story about the late entertainer Peter Allen, screened on Channel 7 Network in 2015. This biopic focuses on early years, including his childhood in a small-vile Armidale, in northern NSW. His father became an alcoholic after returning from World War II, committed suicide when Peter was 15. He moves to Tenterfield live with his grandfather George Woolnough, a saddler, whom Allen immortalised him in the song "Tenterfield Saddler". Felt unlucky, can't find his hometown while I lived in Sydney around 2005. Having lived as teenagers through the 80's, I distinctly remember many of songs I Go to Rio and The More I See You, also Peter's hits were made popular by many recording artists such as Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester, Rita Coolidge, Frank Sinatra, and Olivia Newton-John won Grammy for "I Honestly Love You". In addition to recording many albums, he enjoyed cabaret and concert career. An actress Judy Garland discovered then managed Peter Allen while he was performing in Hong Kong at 20. Peter married to Judy's daughter, Liza Minnelli at 23. His struggle for success in USA was always over-powered by presence of Judy and Liza whom dominated at those time.
After divorced, Peter Allen takes different musical approach and switched genres for album "I Could Have Been a Sailor" was released as Adult Contemporary with Jay Graydon, Abraham Laboriel, Greg Phillinganes and others. It was notable as Peter's first to make the US albums chart with hits Don't Wish Too Hard, also his versions of Don't Cry Out Loud and I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love which major successes as covered by another artist. His most successful album "Bi-Coastal" released in 1980 with super hits Fly Away, and my fave Pass This Time. It was produced by David Foster with West Coast musicians like Carlos Vega, Jay Graydon and TOTO. Rumors said Bi-Coastal was about Peter Allen's sexuality who came out as gay after his marriage ended. He becomes the first Ozzy to win an Oscar for Arthur's Theme from the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli. Peter was a person who lived his dream with iconic songs, died of AIDS related throat cancer at 48 in 1992. His life story was turned into Broadway Musical starring Hugh Jackman that give him Tony Award for Best Actor in The Boy From Oz. So I still can't believe when my fellow Australian didn't realize Peter Allen included his songs. Have you ever heard "I Still Call Australia Home" through out the Qantas cabin? Yep, Peter Allen as the Australia's most adored entertainers ever. (nDy)
Ah Niu
Humpe Humpe
Singapore Girl
Previous Happy Birthday by Famous Composers
Next Phubbing Dan Mabuk Gawai


Kevin is an equity analyst covering the software sector at Paradigm capital. He has been working in the investment industry for almost 10 years.�Prior to joining Paradigm, Kevin worked as an Associate Analyst at National Bank Financial within its Telecom, Cable & Media team. Kevin also covered several Telecom & Technology companies as lead analyst while at NBF. Prior to his investment industry career, Kevin spent five years working as a Radio Frequency engineer for Motorola and Continental Automotive. Kevin holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business with a specialization in Finance and completed his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering & Management at McMaster University.
See Kevin Krishnaratne at the Cantech Investment Conference.


Ethanol production in November remained steady at pretty much the same level since August. Imports for the month dropped by over 50% and consumption fell by almost 50 million gallons from the number posted in October to the lowest level since August.
The numbers are skewed downward somewhat since November has only 30 and October has 31. Daily production in November was 668,000 barrels per day versus 647,000 barrels per day in October.


3 fair condition used Curtis thermopro coffee dispensers. Removed from Gas Station that was closing. Sold as is. 1 has a cracked plastic piece near the dispenser that does not affect the function of the unit (shown in photo). No stands. These sell for $300 new each.


The George L. Throop Company supplies filter media such as filter sand, filter rock, gravel rock, filter gravel, and other filter media for a wide variety of water purification and chemical purification applications to many different industries. Our extensive experience has given us versatility in our overall knowledge of the different applications for water filter media. We can assist in estimating quantities and types of sand, rock and other layers of filter materials in the overall filter media design desired and therefore we can help you achieve your ultimate goal of a well-working filtration system.
We have experience shipping filter gravel media all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Middle East, South America, and many other locations overseas.
Our filter media meets and exceeds the most recent AWWA and ANSI/NSF Standard 61 certified specifications if requested when ordered.
Certified independent testing lab is available for those projects where it is required.
Most filter media can be purchased in large quantities of 50 lb, 100 lb polypropylene, or multi-layer paper bags.
Bulk filter media is also available in 3,000 lb (30 cubic feet) polypropylene Supersacks or in bulk containers. Supersacks are designed for time-saving installation.
Shipping can be on expendable one way pallets.
For added protection, stretch wrap is available.
Other media can be packaged in various other ways.
We will assist in providing transportation rates for United States or oversea shipments.
Flat bed or van truck, bulk truck, containers, or rail shipments are available.


text:
<?php
mb_internal_encoding('UTF-8');
/**
* @author Philipp Strazny <philipp at strazny dot com>
* @copyleft (l) 2012  Philipp Strazny
* @package FuzzyIndex
* @file
* @since 2012-01
* @license http://opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-license.php GNU Lesser General Public License
*
* 2012-06-16:
* added foreign keys in $sqlCreateSnippetLocationsTable
* added $sqlEnableForeignKeys
* added $sqlDeleteLocation
* added call to $sqlEnableForeignKeys in setDatabasehandle()
* added delete_location()
*/

/**
* @class FuzzyIndex
*/
class FuzzyIndex{

	protected $dbh;
	protected $heuristic;
	protected $dbfile;

	// sql
	protected $sqlCreateLocationsTable = 'CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS locations (locationid INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT, location TEXT UNIQUE, snippetcount INTEGER, strlen INTEGER)'; //mysql needs STRING instead of TEXT
	protected $sqlCreateSnippetsTable = 'CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS snippets (snippetid INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT, snippet TEXT UNIQUE)'; //mysql needs STRING instead of TEXT
	protected $sqlCreateSnippetLocationsTable = 'CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS snippet_locations (snippetid INTEGER REFERENCES snippets ON DELETE CASCADE, locationid INTEGER REFERENCES locations ON DELETE CASCADE, UNIQUE(snippetid, locationid))';
	protected $sqlEnableForeignKeys = 'PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON';
	protected $sqlDeleteLocation = 'DELETE FROM locations WHERE locationid = ?';
	protected $sqlInsertLocations = 'INSERT OR IGNORE INTO locations VALUES( NULL,?,?,? )';
	protected $sqlInsertSnippetLocations = 'INSERT OR IGNORE INTO snippet_locations VALUES( ?,? )';
	protected $sqlInsertSnippet = 'INSERT OR IGNORE INTO snippets VALUES( NULL, ? )'; //:snippet )';
	protected $sqlSelectLocationid = 'SELECT locationid FROM locations WHERE location = ?';
	protected $sqlSelectSnippetid = 'SELECT snippetid FROM snippets WHERE snippet = ?';
	//{numsnippets}
	//{strlen}
	//{minlen}
	//{maxlen}
	//{sqlsnippets}
	//{threshold}
	protected $sqlSelectBestMatches = 'SELECT locid, score, location FROM (  SELECT locid,   (hits*100/{numsnippets} + hits*100/snippetcount + (({strlen}- abs({strlen}-strlen))*100)/{strlen})/3 AS score,    location    FROM (  SELECT COUNT(snippet_locations.locationid) AS hits, snippet_locations.locationid AS locid, locations.snippetcount, locations.strlen, locations.location    FROM locations, snippets, snippet_locations   WHERE locations.strlen >= {minlen}   AND locations.strlen <= {maxlen}   AND snippet_locations.locationid = locations.locationid   AND snippet_locations.snippetid = snippets.snippetid AND snippets.snippet IN ({sqlsnippets})   GROUP BY locid  ) as tmp1 ) as tmp2 WHERE score > {threshold}   ORDER BY score DESC  LIMIT 5';

	protected $preparedStatements;

	/**
	 * opens database and initializes if needed
	 */
	public function __construct($dbfile){
		if ( empty($dbfile) || !preg_match('/[a-z]/i', basename($dbfile))){
				throw new InvalidArgumentException("invalid dbfile");
		}
		//print __LINE__.' '.$dbfile."\n";
		$this->dbfile = $dbfile;
		$init= !$this->dbInitialized();
		//print "init: $init\n";
		$this->setDatabaseHandle();
		if ( $init ){
			$this->init();
		}
		$this->heuristic = new CharsHeuristic();
		$this->setupPreparedStatements();
	}
	/**
	 * destroys database handle
	 */
	public function __destruct(){
		$this->dbh=null;
	}
	/**
	 * get size of sqlite database
	 * @return size of database file
	 */
	public function getDBSize(){
		return filesize($this->dbfile);
	}

	/**
	 * sets heuristic for internal use
	 */
	public function setHeuristic($heuristic){
		if ( !class_exists($heuristic)){
			throw new InvalidArgumentException("bad heuristic: $heuristic");
		}
		$this->heuristic = new $heuristic;
	}
	/**
	 * @return the internally used heuristic
	 */
	public function getHeuristic(){
		return $this->heuristic;
	}

	/**
	 * @return class name of internal heuristic
	 */
	public function getHeuristicName(){
		return get_class($this->heuristic);
	}

	private function dbInitialized(){
		return file_exists($this->dbfile);
	}

	/**
	 * e.g.: sqlite:FILE
	 */
	public function setDatabaseHandle(){
		$this->dbh = new PDO('sqlite:'.$this->dbfile);
		$this->dbh->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
		// foreign keys are turned off by default in sqlite, so they
		// must be turned on for each connection:
		$this->dbh->query($this->sqlEnableForeignKeys);
	}
	/**
	 * sets up needed tables
	 */
	public function init(){
		//print __FILE__." in init\n";
		$this->dbh->query($this->sqlCreateLocationsTable);
		$this->dbh->query($this->sqlCreateSnippetsTable);
		$this->dbh->query($this->sqlCreateSnippetLocationsTable);
	}

	/**
	 *  sets up cache of prepared statements for relevant sql statements
	 */
	public function setupPreparedStatements(){
		$ps = array();
		$ps['sqlInsertLocations'] = $this->dbh->prepare($this->sqlInsertLocations);
		$ps['sqlInsertSnippetLocations'] = $this->dbh->prepare($this->sqlInsertSnippetLocations);
		$ps['sqlInsertSnippet'] = $this->dbh->prepare($this->sqlInsertSnippet);
		$ps['sqlSelectLocationid'] = $this->dbh->prepare($this->sqlSelectLocationid);
		$ps['sqlSelectSnippetid'] = $this->dbh->prepare($this->sqlSelectSnippetid);
		$ps['sqlDeleteLocation'] = $this->dbh->prepare($this->sqlDeleteLocation);
		$this->preparedStatements = $ps;
	}

	/**
	 * inserts valpairs into specified table
	 * returns rowid or false if insert failed
	 */
	private function insert_snippet_location_vals($vals){
		$rowid=false;
		$stmt = $this->preparedStatements['sqlInsertSnippetLocations'];
		$num_values = count($vals);
		for( $i = 0; $i < $num_values; $i++ ){
			$stmt->execute( array($vals[$i][0], $vals[$i][1]) );
		}
		$rowid=$this->dbh->lastInsertId();
		return $rowid;
	}

	/**
	 * retrieves id of given location
	 * if id does not exist and insert is true, then new location is inserted
	 * returns false if location does not exist in db
	 */
	public function get_locationid($val, $snippetcount=0, $strlen=0, $insert=false){
		$stmt = $this->preparedStatements['sqlSelectLocationid'];
		$stmt->execute(array($val));
		if ( $locationid = $stmt->fetchColumn()){
			return $locationid;
		}
		if ( !$insert ){
			return false;
		}
		return $this->insert_location($val, $snippetcount, $strlen);
	}

	/**
	 * inserts given location into db
	 * returns locationid or false if insert failed
	 */
	public function insert_location($location, $snippetcount, $strlen){
		$this->preparedStatements['sqlInsertLocations']->execute( array($location, $snippetcount, $strlen) );
		return $this->dbh->lastInsertId();
	}

	/**
	 * deletes location associated with given locationid from database
	 * due to foreign key constraint: all relevant snippet_locations are also deleted
	 */
	public function delete_location($locationid){
		$this->preparedStatements['sqlDeleteLocation']->execute( array($locationid) );
		return $this->dbh->lastInsertId();
	}

	/**
	 * retrieves id of given snippet
	 * if id does not exist and insert is true, then new snippet is inserted
	 * returns false if snippet does not exist in db
	 */
	public function get_snippetid($val, $insert=false){
		$stmt = $this->preparedStatements['sqlSelectSnippetid'];
		$stmt->execute(array($val));
		if ( $snippetid = $stmt->fetchColumn()){
			return $snippetid;
		}
		return $insert?$this->insert_snippet($val):false;
	}

	/**
	 * inserts given snippet or array of snippets into db
	 * returns snippetid or false if insert failed
	 */
	public function insert_snippet($snippet){
		$rowid=false;
		$stmt = $this->preparedStatements['sqlInsertSnippet'];
		$handletransaction = !$this->dbh->inTransaction();
		if ( is_array($snippet) ){
			if ( $handletransaction ){
				$this->dbh->beginTransaction();
			}
			foreach($snippet as $s){
				$stmt->execute( array($s) );
			}
			if ( $handletransaction ){
				$this->dbh->commit();
			}
		}
		else{ //inserting as singleton
			$stmt->execute( array($snippet) );
		}
		$rowid=$this->dbh->lastInsertId();
		return $rowid;
	}

	/**
	 * inserts snippet/location association
	 * for each supplied snippetid
	 */
	public function insert_snippet_locations(array $snippetids, $locationid){
		$vals = array();
		foreach($snippetids as $snippetid){
			$vals[] = array($snippetid, $locationid);
		}
		return $this->insert_snippet_location_vals($vals);
	}

	/**
	 * inserts relevant data points for the supplied string
	 */
	public function insert_string($string, $location){
		if (empty($string) ){
		 	throw new InvalidArgumentException("empty string");
		}
		if (empty($location) ){
		 	throw new InvalidArgumentException("empty location");
		}
		$snippets = $this->heuristic->makeSnippets($string);
		if (!empty($snippets)){
			$numsnippets = count($snippets);
			$snippetids = $this->get_snippetids($snippets, true);
			$numsnippetids = count($snippetids);
			if ($numsnippets > $numsnippetids){
				throw new Exception("unexpected error: not enough snippets found for \n\t$string\nat $locationid");
			}
			$locationid = $this->get_locationid($location, count($snippets), mb_strlen($string), true);
			if (!$locationid){
				throw new Exception("unexpected error: no locationid found for $location");
			}
			$this->insert_snippet_locations($snippetids, $locationid);
			// exceptions thrown here would be indications of a bad heuristic
			// they are truly "unexpected" and should not occur
		}
		// else: ignore string without useful snippets
	}

	/**
	 * gets ids for all supplied snippets
	 * if insert is true, then snippets are inserted if not in db yet
	 */
	public function get_snippetids(array $snippets, $insert=false){
		$snippetids = array();
		$numsnippets = count($snippets);
		$sqlsnippets = $this->prepareSqlSnippets($snippets, $numsnippets);
		$sql = 'SELECT snippet, snippetid FROM snippets WHERE snippet IN ('.$sqlsnippets.')';
		$stmt = $this->dbh->query($sql);
		$foundsnippets = $stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_COLUMN, 0);
		$notfoundsnippets = array_diff($snippets, $foundsnippets);
		if (!empty($notfoundsnippets)){
			$this->insert_snippet($notfoundsnippets);
		}
		$stmt = $this->dbh->query($sql);
		$snippetids = $stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_COLUMN, 1);
		return $snippetids;
	}

	/**
	 * preps snippet array for use in sql statement
	 */
	public function prepareSqlSnippets($snippets, $numsnippets){
		$sqlsnippets = '';
		for($i=0; $i<$numsnippets; $i++){
			$sqlsnippets .= '\''.$snippets[$i].'\'';
			if ( $i+1<$numsnippets){
				$sqlsnippets .= ', ';
			}
		}
		return $sqlsnippets;
	}

	/**
	 * returns best hits for provided string
	 */
	public function get_best_locations($string, $snippetlength=3, $threshold=75){
		$snippets = $this->heuristic->makeSnippets($string, $snippetlength);
		if (empty($snippets)){
			return array();
		}
		$numsnippets = count($snippets);
		$sqlsnippets = $this->prepareSqlSnippets($snippets, $numsnippets);
		$deviation = 100-$threshold;
		$strlen = mb_strlen($string);
		$maxlen = $strlen + ($strlen*$deviation)/100;
		$minlen = $strlen - ($strlen*$deviation)/100;
		$sql = $this->prepareSqlSelectBestMatches($numsnippets, $strlen, $minlen, $maxlen, $sqlsnippets, $threshold);
		$ret = $this->run_timed_query($sql);
		return $ret;
	}

	/**
	 * inserts supplied values into sqlSelectBestMatches query
	 */
	function prepareSqlSelectBestMatches($numsnippets, $strlen, $minlen, $maxlen, $sqlsnippets, $threshold){
		$sql = $this->sqlSelectBestMatches;
		$sql = str_replace('{numsnippets}', $numsnippets, $sql);
		$sql = str_replace('{strlen}', $strlen, $sql);
		$sql = str_replace('{minlen}', $minlen, $sql);
		$sql = str_replace('{maxlen}', $maxlen, $sql);
		$sql = str_replace('{sqlsnippets}', $sqlsnippets, $sql);
		$sql = str_replace('{threshold}', $threshold, $sql);
		return $sql;
	}

	/**
	 * runs a sql query and adds the processing time to the rendered output
	 */
	function run_timed_query($sql){
		$t1 = microtime(true);
		//print __FILE__."\n$sql\n";
		$res = $this->dbh->query($sql);
        $ret = $res->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_FUNC, 'FuzzyIndex::renderColRow');
		$t2 = microtime(true);
		$diff = round($t2-$t1, 5);
		if ( !empty($ret)){
			$ret[0] = $diff.'s | '.$ret[0];
		}
        return $ret;
	}

	/**
	* @author Jonathan Gotti <jgotti at jgotti dot org>
    * 	in class-sqlite3db.php
    * get the table list
    * @return array
    */
    public function list_tables(){
		$names = array();
        $res = $this->dbh->query('SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type=\'table\'');
        $rows = $res->fetchAll();
        foreach($rows as $row){
			$names[] = $row[0];
		}
		//print_r($names);
		return $names;
    }

    /**
     * converts array argument into string delimited by ' | '
     */
	public static function renderColRow() {
		$args = func_get_args();
		return implode (' | ', $args);
	}

	/**
	 * crude utility function to load plain text strings
	 * from a file
	 * @arg fullstring 	allows to specify whether the full strings should be stored in the db
	 * 					or their location (filename + linenumber)
	 */
	public function load_lines_from_file($filename, $fullstring=false){
		if ( empty($filename) || !file_exists($filename)){
			throw new InvalidArgumentException("file not found: $filename");
		}
		print "loading ".basename($filename)."\n.";
		$t1 = microtime(true);
		$fh = fopen($filename, 'r');
		$linenumber=0;
		$loadedlines=0;
		$this->dbh->beginTransaction();
		while (!feof($fh) ){
			$linenumber++;
			$s = fgets($fh);
			$s = trim($s);
			if ( $linenumber == 1 && substr($s, 0, 3)  == "\xef\xbb\xbf" ){
				// remove bom
				$s = substr($s, 3);
			}
			if ( empty($s) ){
				continue;
			}
			$loadedlines++;
			if ($fullstring){
				$this->insert_string($s, $s);
			}
			else{
				$this->insert_string($s, $filename.':'.$linenumber);
			}
			if ($loadedlines%1000==0){
				$this->dbh->commit();
				$this->dbh->beginTransaction();
				//print "linenumber: ".$linenumber."\n";
				print '.';
			}
		}
		print "\n";
		$this->dbh->commit();
		$t2 = microtime(true);
		$diff = $t2-$t1;
		print "$loadedlines of $linenumber lines loaded in $diff s\n";
	}
}

/**
 * defines public methods of a basic heuristic
 */
interface FuzzyIndexHeuristic{
	public function makeSnippets($string);
	public function quoteString($string);
}

/**
 * a non-functional heuristic base class
 * supplying utility methods and modifier variable
 */
class BaseHeuristic implements FuzzyIndexHeuristic{
	protected $modifier;
	public function __construct($modifier=false){
		$this->modifier = $modifier;
	}
	public function quoteString($string){
		return htmlspecialchars($string, ENT_QUOTES);
	}
	public function quoteStrings($array){
		$newarray = array();
		foreach ($array as $s){
			$newarray[] = htmlspecialchars($s, ENT_QUOTES);
		}
		return $newarray;
	}
	public function makeSnippets($string){
		return array($string);
	}
}

/**
 * splits a string into overlapping substrings (snippets) of a given length
 */
class CharsHeuristic extends BaseHeuristic{
	protected $pattern;
	public function __construct($modifier=3){
		if (empty($modifier) || !is_int($modifier) || $modifier>10){
			// 1-10 is a generous range
			throw new InvalidArgumentException("modifier should be between 1 and 10");
		}
		parent::__construct($modifier);
	}
	public function getPattern(){
		if ( isset($this->pattern)){
			return $this->pattern;
		}
		$snippetlength = $this->modifier;
		$snippets = array();
		$pattern = '';
		$tmp = $snippetlength+1;
		while(--$tmp){
			$pattern .= '.';
		}
		$this->pattern = $pattern;
		return $pattern;
	}
	public function makeSnippets($string){
		$pattern = $this->getPattern();
		$snippetlength = $this->modifier;
		$snippets = array();
		//surround trimmed string with spaces to provide
		//normalized boundaries
		$string = ' '.trim($string).' ';
		while($snippetlength--){
			$matches = array();
			if ( preg_match_all('/'.$pattern.'/u', $string, $matches, PREG_PATTERN_ORDER)){
				$snippets = array_merge($snippets, $matches[0]);
			}
			$string = mb_substr($string, 1); // chop off first char
		}
		$snippets = array_unique($snippets);
		$snippets = array_merge($snippets, array()); // reindex array
		return $this->quoteStrings($snippets);
	}
}

/**
 * like CharsHeuristic, but converts strings to lowercase first
 */
class LowercaseCharsHeuristic extends CharsHeuristic{
	public function makeSnippets($string){
		$string = mb_strtolower($string, 'UTF-8');
		return parent::makeSnippets($string);
	}
}

/**
 * like CharsHeuristic, but ignores all snippets containing nonword chars
 */
class WordCharsHeuristic extends CharsHeuristic{
	public function makeSnippets($string){
		$snippets = parent::makeSnippets($string);
		return $this->reduceSnippetsByNonwordchars($snippets);
	}
	public function reduceSnippetsByNonwordchars($snippets){
		$newsnippets = array();
		foreach($snippets as $snippet){
			if ( !preg_match('/\W/', $snippet)){
				$newsnippets[] = $snippet;
			}
		}
		return $newsnippets;
	}

}
/**
 * like WordCharsHeuristic, but converts strings to lowercase first
 */
class LowercaseWordCharsHeuristic extends WordCharsHeuristic{
	public function makeSnippets($string){
		$string = mb_strtolower($string, 'UTF-8');
		return parent::makeSnippets($string);
	}
}
/**
 * splits string into "words", using punctuation and whitespace as delimiters
 *
 */
class WordHeuristic extends BaseHeuristic{
	public function makeSnippets($string){
		// remove punctuation from word peripheries
		$string = ' '.trim($string).' ';
		$string = preg_replace('/\s[[:punct:]]+/u', ' ', $string);
		$string = preg_replace('/[[:punct:]]+\s/u', ' ', $string);
		$string = preg_replace('/\s+/u', ' ', $string);
		$string = trim($string);
		$string = $this->quoteString($string);
		// split on whitespace sequences
		$snippets = explode(' ', $string);
		$snippets = array_unique($snippets);
		$snippets = array_merge($snippets, array()); // reindex array
		return $snippets;
	}
}
/**
 * like WordHeuri-stic, but converts strings to lowercase first
 */
class LowercaseWordHeuristic extends WordHeuristic{
	public function makeSnippets($string){
		$string = mb_strtolower($string, 'UTF-8');
		return parent::makeSnippets($string);
	}
}
/**
 * like WordHeuristic, but with broader set of delimiters (non-word chars) to
 * create smaller chunks
 */
class WordChunkHeuristic extends BaseHeuristic{
	public function makeSnippets($string){
		// split on non-word char sequences
		$string = preg_replace('/\W+/iu', ' ', $string);
		$string = preg_replace('/\s+/iu', ' ', $string);
		$string = trim($string);
		$snippets = explode(' ', $string);
		$snippets = $this->quoteStrings($snippets);
		$snippets = array_unique($snippets);
		$snippets = array_merge($snippets, array()); // reindex array
		return $snippets;
	}
}
/**
 * like WordChunkHeuristic, but converts strings to lowercase first
 */
class LowercaseWordChunkHeuristic extends WordChunkHeuristic{
	public function makeSnippets($string){
		$string = mb_strtolower($string, 'UTF-8');
		return parent::makeSnippets($string);
	}
}


Gamma burst Scientists using NASA's Fermi space telescope have discovered one of the most instense energy sources in the comsos - a rare gamma-ray binary star system.
The discovery opens a new window on these extremely high energy sources.
A binary star system consists of two stars orbiting each other.
In this case, one is either a black hole or neutron star, while the companion is a giant star about 20 times the mass of the Sun.
Dr Robin Corbet, a senior research scientist from the University of Maryland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre says, "While many x-ray binaries have been discovered, surprisingly only a handful give off gamma-rays".
Writing in the journal Science, Corbet and colleagues report that binary star systems with gamma-ray emissions from either a neutron star or a black hole are rare even though evolution models predict dozens should exist in our galaxy.
"So far only about four have been detected," says Corbet.
"They were found because they also gave off either radio waves or x-rays."
"This new discovery is the first to be detected just by looking for gamma-ray radiation directly, so it's a new way to find them."
Corbet says gamma-rays are hard to study because they're blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and detectors have difficulty picking them up.
"But Fermi's LAT (Large Area Telescope) is much more powerful than previous generations of these instruments, so we used it to hunt for these elusive gamma-ray binaries which should be out there," says Corbet.
"Fermi's found well over a thousand gamma-ray sources in the sky, but these are usually quasars or pulsars."
The newly detected binary, named 1FGL J1018.6-5856, was discovered about 16,300 light years away near the Milky Way's galactic plane.
Corbet and colleagues knew they had a binary, because the gamma-ray emissions were modulated.
"They were getting brighter and dimmer in a 16.6 day cycle, so we knew it was part of a binary with two stars orbiting each other," says Corbet.
Follow up observations using NASA's Swift space telescope also detected x-ray emissions, but much fainter than the gamma-ray emissions.
In a normal x-ray binary, material from the companion star falls onto the neutron star or black hole releasing gravitational energy, which heats up the material, giving off x-rays.
But gamma-rays have far more energy, so you can't make them by heating things up, relying instead on a non-thermal mechanism.
Corbet says, "A very strong stellar wind coming out of the companion star colliding with the stellar wind coming from a pulsar could form a shock which then converts light from the ordinary star into gamma-rays".
However the researchers are yet to find evidence that the neutron star is a pulsar.
"This discovery tends to support that model but more discoveries are needed to refine the model better," says Corbet.
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